This has been an eye opening 6 months for me (11-02 through 4-03). The international and local debate about the rules of engagement in the war on terror has taken many unexpected turns and exposed many unflattering motivations of the debaters.

France Germany and Russia have revealed themselves as untrustworthy participants in the discussion of world discourse as they are more interested in protecting their illegal business dealings with sanctioned nations than altruistic guidance of world affairs. Some say America's proactive war on terror is the real offender of ethics. The UN has revealed itself as a coagulation of nations with such divergent interests that cohesion of purpose has proven impossible. There are none blinder than those who will not see. Some in America wishing for magnanimous UN consensus refused to see these conflicts of interest.

I have a proactive remove terrorist wherever they hide and elimination of the despots that rule these terrorist incubators position. This is counter to some in our country that think we are reaping our just rewards for exporting our successful free-market, free-society, capitalistic ways disrupting the natural ebb and flow of low impact agrarian hand to mouth existence of many of the worlds poor. Regrettably it is a part of human nature of many to resent the successful, America's poor hating the wealthy, the third world poor hating a wealthy America, it is the same emotion. The mindset of envy is an ugly opponent and impossible to address as the possessors of envy are irrational. Those empathetic for these irrational are well meaning but irrational also.

I have debated with some in Jackson who don't believe that we should be the leader of the world. The moment we abdicate our position of leadership we subordinate our destiny to another, a risky gamble.

I am thankful that my vision of our country right or wrong is a vision of a benevolent country that tries to export its indisputable formula for success to others where success has eluded them for the benefit for all. I pity those that envision America as a tyrannical, imperialistic, egocentric entity hell-bent on raping the world of its natural resources to the peril of the natives therein. This national self-loathing introspection must be hard to live with.

My vision of America is a vision you can love.